Constant-volume regulator



. Pat nted at. s, i921: -U-Nl T-E:D ST

AT srA E T' OFFICE.

LESLIE it. RUFF, or rnitmrsnune, NEW sans-smass'xeivonro I'NGERsQLL-RAND comrANY, or JERSEY'QITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION on NEW JERSEY.

CONSTANT-VOLUME nneoLAroR- Application filed July 15,

This invention relates to volume regulators,

, compressors and the like. 7, The objects of the invention are to insure a constant intake volume of air to a .turbo blower or other similar machine-ii respective of any fluctuations which .may occur in the discharge pressure of the {na- 1 chine, to increase the efficiency of dev ces of this character, and 'to cheapen and 51mplify the construction thereof. f

Other objects will be in part obv1ous and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention consists of the combinationof elements and features'of construction having the general mode of operation substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.-

The figure in the will serve to illustrate the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the turbo blower designated generally by A has a casing B through which extends a rotatable shaft C carrying an impeller l). The shaft shown, may be driven by any suitable motor, as for instance, by a' steam turbine (not shown) and is provided with a packing ring.

. having interposed therein a valve chamber J in which is located a steam admission valve K of a well known type for controllin the flow of the steam through the pipe A bracket L-seated on the valve chamber J forms a closure for one end of said valve chamber and carries at its other end a cylinder 0 in which. is arranged'a piston P. The piston P andthe valve K in this instance are connected operatively and held in spaced but more particularly to a constant Q vohune regulator for turbo blowers, turbo drawing is a sectional elevation of so much of a turbo blower as C, only a portion ofwhich is 1926.v Serial No 122,701.

relation withrespect to each other by a rod under pressure to the ends of the cylinder O for actuating the piston P and consequently the valve K. To this end a chamher R is" formed in a valve chest S preferably adjacent the cylinder 0' to receive Suitable means are provided for con- -trollingthe admission of power such as oil slidably a pilot valve T -having end heads U and V and a central head lV. The head U in. this instance controls a passage X leading to the upper end of the cylinder 0 and the central head'W controls a passage Y leading to the lowermost end of the cylin 7 f 0 for the valve and also forms a closure forder 0. .The'head V acts-merely as a guide one end of the chamber R. Oil for actuat-- ing. the -pilot valveT is conveyed through I a suitable pipeZ leading from a source of supply, such as a pump, and communicating with the chamber R at a point intermediate the passages 1X and Y. The pass'ages'X and Y serve both as inlet and exhaust pas-' sages for the ends of the cylinder 0, as will be explained more fullyhereinafter.

Whenever the pilot valve T- isin position to exhaust the oil from the cylinder 0, such oil may flow through the passages X and Y and through the chamber'R into a passage 6 communicating with the chamber R. A pipe 0 leading from the-passage b conveys the discharged oil to a sump or reservoir from whence it may again be usedv if desired. c

In devices of this character, suitable pres-' sure responsive means are-usually provided for controlling the delivery ofpower to the motor whenever fluctuations occur in the discharge line of the blower so that a con stant intake volume of air may at all times be delivered to 'the blower. To accomplish this in the present instance, a receptacle or tank J is secured to a bracket 0 which in i turn may be secured fixedly in a convenient shaped-float f is disposed in the tank d and position on the blower. A hollow bell t is suspended from a rod 9 slidable through the roofjof the tank (1. A balancing lever 72. pivoted on an arm of the bracket; is.

pivoted at one end to the rod 1 and at its other end to a link [a connecting the balanc-. ing lever It to a lever 0, said lever' 0 being pivotally connected to the pilot valve T and one end of the lever o-is connected pivotally tothe rod Q.

At the upper end of the bracket 0 is formed a-cylinder p in which is arranged a s slidable in a valve chamber t contrqls the admission and exhaust of oil under pressure into the cylinder in beneath the piston g forcounteracting the movement of the bell float f. The valve. 8 has a large end head u and a-central head o of smaller diameter than the end head and slidable in a chamber w from which chamber leads a port as to communicate with thetcylinder p; The oil intended to be controlledby the valve 8 may be conveyed from a suitable source of supply through a pipe y communicating with a chamber-z, A pipe 2 leading. from the chamber it from a point intermediate the ends thereof is adapted to convey discharged oil-from the cylinder p.

In the present instance a spring 3 bears with one end on the valve sand at its other end against a regulating nut 4 screwed in a boss 5 formed on the cylinder p. The regulating nut 4 in thisinstance is proi'ided with a bore 6 through which extends slidably a rod '7 carried by the valve 8 and which rod is connected to a governor lever 8 to oneend-of' which is connected operatively a speed govei'nor 9 of the motor.

According to the present invention, an annular chamber 10 having a central outlet opening D is formed in one end of the cas- I restricted portion 14 of the chamber 10 is an annular passa e 16 which communicates with the restricted portion 14: preferably through'a plurality of ports 17. These ports are preferably spaced equi-distantly around e the restricted portion 14 so thatan average of the pressure in the said restricted portion may be obtained the annular passage'lfi.

' A suitable 'conn tion in the form of a pipe 161m the interior of the'bell float f. The

'. cross sectional area of the boreof this pipe 18 is preferably ofa size substantiall equal to the combined areas of the ports 17 'Inorder to preventthe passage of water i 19'- or other sealing liquid, in the bell float firoin being drawn into the-pipe 18, a tube 20 wherewith the pipe 18, communicates exprovided between the annular passage 1 ,aie,4to Y 1 I tends 'into the. bell float to a point well above I the; surface of the water 19. 3

A suitable connection between a chamber 21 of the receptacle d" and the tapered inlet 11 of the casing B is provided in the form of a pipe 22 connected to the tapered inlet and the receptacle (2 in any-suitablemanne1a By thus connecting the interior of the float f with the restricted portion 1 and the chamber 21 with the inlet 11, the float will be subjected to differential pressures due to the difference in areas of the restricted por- I 'tion 14 and the inlet 11. In this way the float will be actuated for regulating the various elements which control the admission of power to the motor.

In theoperation of the device; assuming that the turbo blower is running at its normal speed, air drawn thereby throughthe tapered inlet ll will pass into the annular' chamber 10, from thence through the restricted portion into'the impeller D. Due to the restricted portion 14 the flow of the air will be accelerated and will therefore pass through said restricted portion at a greatly the chamber 21. If, for any well known reason, the motor speed is accelerated, the bell float f willbe drawn downwardly in the direction of the force acting on the interior thereofl. This downward movement of the bell float will cause the pilot valve IT to move upwardly in' the chamber 1% and thus admit oil through the passage X- into the cylinder 0 above the piston P. The oil thus admitted will then force the piston P and the steam admission valve K downwardly,'and, in 2011- 1 sequence, reduce the flow of steam through the. plpe H to the motor. Such reduction of the amount of steam flowing through the pipe HWlll result in a lower speed of the motor and therefore in 'a decreased flow of pressure fluid throughfthe restricted portion 14-; As a result the suction on the interior of the bell float f'will be decreased, thuspermitting the bell float f to rise somewhat, which upward movementof the bell float'will.

have the eifect bfagain moving the pilotva1ve T downwardly in the'cliamber R.

Since the piston q is connected rigidly to' thebell float f, any-movement of the bell float will result in a corresponding move-'.

ment of the piston g. As a result'of this construction whenthe' bell float isbeing d rawn downwardly, the piston Q will also 'nmve downwardly in'the cylinder 1) and thus displace the .oil in the cylinder 12'.

During' the downward movement of p ston g, the oil in the cylinder will act againstthe end face of the enlarged head u ofthe valve 8 and will move the said valve upwai'dly. against the force of the spring 3 -until the head of the valve uncovers the port as, whereupon oil will flow through said port, through the chamber t,-andi thence from the said chamber through the (1is-.

: m" the blower again increases, the velocity of- 'the air flowing through the restricted per- .charge. pipe 2; 1

If, then, while. the parts are in this'pcsition, resistance to the discharge pressure of tion 14 will befreduced and a reduced suction in the interior of the bell float fwill be obtained. thus permitting the oil in the cylinder 3) 'to raise'the piston q. As the piston: g moves-upwardly, the pressure of the passage discharge pressure.

the oil in the cylinder p will be decreased to a value which will permit the spring 3 to move the valves downwardly and admit oilfrom the chamber 2 through the chamber a and .the ports m into the cylinder to again move the piston g upwardly. Such movement' of the piston 9 will be transmitted through the various linkage connecting'the' piston g to the pilot valve T and move the pilot valve to its lowermost limit- I j ing position in the chamber R. With'the valve T in this position, the passage Y will be uncovered to admit oil under pressure beneath the iston-P and at the 'same time will be uncovered to permit the oil in the top of the cylinder 0 to escape into the. chamber R, from whence it-may escape through the pipe-Z.

movement of the iston P face thereof will open t e steam admission valve K to wider limits andthus admit agreater portion of steam into the motor. By so doing the speed of the motor will be increased to a point suflicient to permit the impeller D to supply a constant volume of air through the discharge pipe of the blower irrespective of any undueresistance to the ,Heretofore, in devices of this character,

I. 7 it has been customary to interpose a Ventun meter in the intake conduit of the blower to obtain a restricted'portion-in the inlet for the. purpose of actuating the bell float or other equivalent means. employed for actuating the controlling mechanism. Such 'meters' have added greatly to the cost of -manu'facturin "disadvantage as been overcome y means blowers'of this'ty e.v 'This ofthe present invention in which the passa es and chambers which comprise the velocity increasing means may cast in. the

against t e lower.

casing and require little, if any, machining. I claim: a 1. In a constant volume regulator for a motor driven turbo blower, the combination of a casing, an intake conduit for conveying air into the casing, a shaft rotatable in the casing, an impeller carried by the shaft, .a chamber around 'the shaft communicating with the intake conduit and having an outlet opening for delivering air to the impeller, said chamber having a restricted portion between the intake conduit and the outlet opening to increase the Velocity of the-air flowing from the chamber to the impeller, andpressure responsive means actuated by the differential pressures'in the chamber and the restricted portion for automatically regulating the speed of the motor to deliver a constant volume of air to the impeller.

2. In a constant volume regulator for a said chamber having an annular restricted portion for increasingthe velocity of the air flowing from the chamber, an annular passage in'a-n outer wall of the casing adjacent the restricted portion ports to establish communication between the restricted portion and the annular passage, and pressure responsive means actuated by entlal. pressures in the chamber and the annular passage for automatically .regulat- -'sta nt volume of airfto the blower.

3. In a constant volume regulator fora motor driven-turbo'blower, the combination of a casing, an intake conduit for "conveying air tothe casing, an :annular chamber in the casing to receive the air from the conduit,

said chamber having an annular restricted portion for increasing the velocity of the air in the speed of the motor to'deli'ver aconflowing from the chamber, an annular pas sage in an outer end Wall oi the casing'adjacent the restricted portion, ports to establish- 'communication between the restricted portion and the annular passage; a receptacle,-

,a floatin' the receptacle, operative connec-f tions actuated;. by said float for controlling the'power delivered to the motor, means ''connecting the interiorofthe float with the annular passage, ,and fmeans connecting the receptacle exteriorof the float with the annular chamben'.

- In testimony whereof I have "signed this specification; v

" Y 'TiL E I R- 

